Weigela plant named ‘Bokratwo’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Weigela florida , ‘Bokratwo’, characterized by its glossy, blackish purple foliage with green veins, its compact plant habit of medium stature, and its red-purple flowers produced in May.

Botanical classification: Weigela florida.

Variety denomination: ‘Bokratwo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Weigela florida and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Bokratwo’. ‘Bokratwo’ is a new cultivar of old fashion weigela, a shrub grown for use as an ornamental landscape plant.

The new cultivar of Weigela is a selection from an ongoing breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Boskoop, The Netherlands with the objective of creating new cultivars of Weigela with compact plant habits and attractive foliage coloration.

The new variety of Weigela, ‘Bokratwo’, designated as accession no. 00222-02 was selected from seedlings derived from a cross made in summer of 2000 between unnamed proprietary seedlings of Weigela florida. The female parent, designated as accession no. 930123, derived from unknown parentage and the male parent, designated as accession no. 93028, derived from open pollination of the cultivar ‘Victoria’ (not patented). After 6 years of observation, ‘Bokratwo’ was selected as a single unique plant in summer of 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the Inventor using softwood stem cuttings in summer of 2007 in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The characteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in a trial plot for eight years in Boskoop, The Netherlands. These attributes in combination distinguish ‘Bokratwo’ as a unique cultivar of Weigela.

-   -   1. ‘Bokratwo’ exhibits a compact plant habit of medium stature.     -   2. ‘Bokratwo’ exhibits glossy, blackish purple foliage with         green veins.     -   3. ‘Bokratwo’ exhibits red-purple flowers in May in the         Netherlands.

The female parent, no. 930123, differs from ‘Bokratwo’ in having a more compact and lower growing plant habit and in having dark green foliage. The male parent, no. 93028, differs from ‘Bokratwo’ in having a taller, less compact habit, foliage that is less glossy and lighter black-purple in color, and in being less floriferous. ‘Bokratwo’ can be most closely compared to the cultivars ‘Victoria’ and ‘Rumba’ (both unpatented). ‘Victoria’ differs from ‘Bokratwo’ in having a taller and much less compact plant habit and in having foliage that is not glossy and lighter in color. ‘Rumba’ differs from ‘Bokratwo’ in being taller in height and in having foliage that is lighter in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs were taken in May and illustrate the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of 8 year-old plants the new Weigela as grown in a trial plot in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides an overall view of the growth habit and blooming habit of ‘Bokratwo’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the foliage of ‘Bokratwo’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the flowers of ‘Bokratwo’. The colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the colors of the new Weigela.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of 8 year-old plants of the new cultivar as grown outdoors in full sun in a trial plot in Boskoop, The Netherlands. Plants were grown under average day temperatures of 15° C. to 28° C. and average night temperature of 7° C. to 18° C. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:     -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms for about 4 weeks in May in Boskoop,             The Netherlands.         -   Plant type.—Deciduous shrub.         -   Plant habit.—Compact, broadly upright, freely branched,             medium stature.         -   Plant size.—Reaches about 104 cm in height and 128 cm in             width.         -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 5 to 9.         -   Environmental stress.—Highly tolerant to wind and rain.         -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to             diseases or pests has been observed, similar to other             Weigela known to the Inventor.         -   Root description.—Fibrous, moderately dense. -   Growth and propagation:     -   -   Propagation.—Softwood stem cuttings.         -   Root initiation.—An average of 30 days at soil temperatures             of 20° C.         -   Root development.—An average of 26 weeks at air temperatures             of 18° C. to finish a young plant.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to high, about 10 cm per month in             spring. -   Stem description:     -   -   Shape.—Slightly quadrangular with older branches rounded.         -   Stem color.—New growth; 146B and 146C tinged with N199B,             mature wood; 199B and 199C.         -   Stem size.—An average of 70.3 cm in length and 3.5 mm in             diameter.         -   Stem surface.—New growth; moderately glossy with more             terminal portion of stems pubescent with hairs about 0.5 mm             in length and 155B in color, mature wood is dull and             glabrous.         -   Stem aspect.—Upright to outward at an average angle of 25°             from upright.         -   Branching.—Basal branching, an average of 146 lateral             branches. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic.         -   Leaf division.—Simple.         -   Leaf base.—Short attenuate.         -   Leaf apex.—Acuminate.         -   Leaf fragrance.—None.         -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color upper surface 147D, color             lower surface 145D.         -   Leaf margins.—Finely serrate, pubescent with hairs about 0.5             mm in length and 156C and 156D in color.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; glossy with main vein             moderately covered with hairs about 0.5 mm in length and             156C and 156D in color, lower surface; glossy with main vein             and secondary veins moderately covered with hairs about 0.5             mm in length and 156D in color.         -   Leaf internode length.—An average of 4.6 cm.         -   Leaf size.—An average of 5.6 cm in length and 2.9 cm in             width.         -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 32 per stem.         -   Leaf color.—Newly expanded leaves; upper surface 200A and             200B and lower surface 200B, mature leaves; upper surface             147A and slightly tinged with N200B and lower surface N200B.         -   Petioles.—About 4 mm in length and 1.5 mm in width, color             ranges from 144A to 147D.         -   Stipules.—None. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary, in pairs, or in small clusters             at terminus and leaf axils.         -   Inflorescence size.—From of 1.7 cm in diameter and 3.2 cm in             depth when a solitary flower and up to 3.2 cm in depth and             10 cm in diameter when in clusters.         -   Flower buds.—Narrowly obovate in shape, an average of 2.2 cm             in depth and 6 mm in diameter, 59A in color.         -   Flower fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness of flowers.—About 12 days with about 90% of             flowers in bloom at one stage, self-cleaning.         -   Flower aspect.—Outward to upright.         -   Flower quantity.—An average of 42 per stem, an average of             6,000 per plant 8 years in age.         -   Flower type.—Tubular.         -   Flower size.—Average of 1.7 cm in diameter and 3.2 cm in             depth.         -   Peduncles.—Average of 1.2 cm in length and 1.5 mm in             diameter, 187A in color and tinged with 152B and 152C,             glabrous surface, oval in shape.         -   Pedicels.—None, sessile to peduncle.         -   Calyx.—Rotate in shape, an average of 8 mm in depth and 4 mm             in width.         -   Sepals.—5, linear in shape, narrowly acute apex, narrowly             cuneate base, entire margin, an average of 8 mm in length             and 1 mm in width, 145B in color with margins 183B on upper             surface and lower surface, surface is slightly glossy on             both surfaces.         -   Petals.—5, lower 70% fused into tube, spathulate in shape,             margin entire on free portion, apex obtuse, an average of             3.2 cm in length with free portion an average of 8 mm in             width, outer and inner surface is smooth and slightly             glossy, color of inner surface when opening and mature; 63B             blending with 68A with spots of 22A at tip of petal and tube             portion 64B, color of outer surface when opening and mature;             60A with spots of 22A at tip of petal and tube portion 59B             blended with 59C, color of both surfaces fade to 70A and             70B. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil, about 2.7 cm in length, style is an             average of 2.5 cm in length, and 155D in color and tinged at             base with 70C and 70D, stigma is club-shaped and ranges from             157B to 157C in color, ovary is 187A in color and tinged             with 152B and 152C.         -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, filaments are 63A in color and an             average of 2.2 cm in length, anthers are 161B to 161C in             color, an average of 3 mm in length, basifixed and narrowly             oblong in shape, pollen is low in quantity and 158D in             color.         -   Fruit and seed.—No fruit or seed production has been             observed to date. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Weigela plant named ‘Bokratwo’ as herein illustrated and described. 